It must be taken into consideration that Gambians in the Diaspora are playing a major role in the country’s development, particularly in the economy. According to the Central Bank of The Gambia, last year remittances from Gambians abroad amounted to 775.6million dollars, which is a huge contribution to the country’s economic growth.
Since diaspora Gambians have been making immense contributions to the national economy, they should be given the opportunity to have a say in the democratic process of the country by simply casting their votes and by being represented in parliament, as it is done by other African countries.
The Independent Electoral Commission, the Ministry of Justice and some heads of association on Diaspora matters should meet to find a solution to this issue.
Mr President, it must be noted that if prevented from voting, the Diaspora Gambians, who render immense support to their families and other relatives in The Gambia, could influence them to vote for the candidates of their choice. And since they are more than 200,000 residing overseas, they could make significant impact in the voting pattern of the elections, hence their concerns should be heard and addressed.
Women empowerment
Mr President, the International Women's Day was celebrated worldwide on Saturday March 8, to recognise the value and contribution of women to the human race and the development of society.
International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1911. The day was inspired by thousands of suffragists who were campaigning for more rights for women including the right to vote. We deem it significant to underscore the importance of their role and contributions to society and our national development.
In this vein, to further empower Gambian women, the government should focus on addressing discriminatory laws, promoting political participation, ensuring access to education and economic opportunities, and strengthening protection against gender-based violence, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Furthermore, gender equality remains an aspiration in The Gambia where women are disadvantaged in many sectors hence the reason The Gambia is placed 121st out of 146 countries, or in the bottom 20%, on the Global Gender Gap Index (World Economic Forum, 2022).
One striking disparity is the underrepresentation of women in politics: in The Gambia, only 8.6% of seats in Parliament are held by women, one of the smallest proportions in the world.
Gender equality in control over assets, hiring, land ownership, and political leadership is also a concern for The Gambia.
A majority of Gambians say the government needs to do more to promote equal rights and opportunities for women.
While it has been argued that this may promote a static view of “women” as a group and push for a parallel process that affects equal voting rights, in the Gambian case this is necessary as a time-limited positive measure that is intended to provide opportunities for historically and systematically disadvantaged groups, in this case, women.
Political parties remain primarily structured in the patriarchal system where men usually lead, and women play supportive roles. In some instances, women are given token positions that lack the necessary power and authority. The presence of ‘yaye compins’ and the use of women as mobilisers, campaigners, cheerleaders, cooks and voters remain their central character roles in political parties. For example, none of the 19 registered political parties is led by a woman, while only a few have women deputy party leaders.
Since independence in 1965, numerous laws and policies have been passed to advance gender equality and women's rights in The Gambia. However, the representation of women in positions of power and decision-making within public and private bodies and representative institutions at national and local levels and within political parties remains low.
Therefore, it is essential that you consider the following:
1. Legal and Policy Reforms: review and repeal discriminatory laws, strengthen legal framework, enforce the ban on FGM, and address gender-based violence.
2. Political Empowerment: increase women's representation, support women candidates, and mobilise support.
3. Economic Empowerment: promote financial inclusion, support women entrepreneurs, address land ownership issues, and promote skills development.
4. Education and Social Services: ensure access to education, improve access to healthcare, and strengthen social protection.
5. Addressing Cultural Norms and Stereotypes: promote gender equality, engage with communities, and support women's organisations.
Mr President, it must also be noted that in the cabinet, we have 22 ministers butonly 3 are female. The National Assembly with 58 members has only 5 female, while out of 20 ambassadors, only 5 are female.
Truth is that Gambian women dictate the pace in politics; they represent 57% in the electoral list but less compensated in government leadership like Cabinet and parliament.
We should also have in mind that Gambian women are playing very significant roles in different sectors. These include politics, trade, security, diplomacy, farming, education, health, banking and financial industry, the judiciary, business, and the media - although they need more presence in editorial teams.
Thus the women should be empowered, as empowering and developing the lot of women, so also the Gambian nation is empowered, without which The Gambia can never be empowered or developed when more than half of her people are disempowered.
Good day!